Shadows of the DAMNED
Shadows of the DAMNED (シャドウ オブ ザ ダムド, Shadou obu za DAMUDO; subtitled A SUDA51 Trip) is an action-horror video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. The game was directed by Massimo Guarini, produced by SUDA51 and Shinji Mikami and developed by Grasshopper Manufacture. It was published on June 21, 2011 by Electronic Arts. As of January 26, 2017, the Xbox 360 version of the game is also compatible with Xbox One. Gameplay The storyline of Shadows of the DAMNED takes upwards of eight hours to complete. Played from a third-person perspective, the game follows protagonist Garcia Hotspur from an over-the-shoulder camera angle. Hotspur wields a torch, pistol, machine gun and shotgun, all of which are actually forms taken by a demon named Johnson. Hotspur and Johnson's skills can be upgraded by a total of 80 upgrades from Red Gems scatted throughout the City of the Damned. Rather than center around shooting enemies and triggering quicktime events, the principle gameplay focuses on strategically keeping in lighted areas while in combat. This is because enemies veiled in darkness become invulnerable to Hotspur's attacks; darkness drains Hotspur's health as well. Players must seal "conduits of darkness," which can sometimes be done through puzzle-solving. These actions range from firing at "laughing stag heads with concentrated bursts of light" to feeding "trinkets to cherub gates in order to gain access to the source of the creeping darkness." Plot The game features Hotspur in the City of the Damned, fighting through demons on his path to rescuing his girlfriend Paula, who has been transported there following her death.Shadows of the Damned - Suda 51 Goes to Grindhouse Hell. Arthur Gies. IGN. March 8, 2011. To do this, he enlists the help of Johnson, a demon who transforms into Hotspur's various weapons.Shadows of the Damned brings together Resident Evil and No More Heroes creators. Henry Gilbert. GamesRadar. September 15, 2010.Shadows of the Damned - Suda 51 Goes to Grindhouse Hell. IGN. March 8, 2011. Paula's death is somehow linked to Fleming Whatshisfaces, the Lord of Demons, who agrees to restore Paula's life if Hotspur will atone for slaying his demonic armies. Hotspur refuses and follows Whatshisfaces into the City of the Damned, where he and Johnson face hordes of demons, some of which Johnson refers to as Whatshisfaces' "V.I.Ps." These are George Reed, the Sisters Grim (Maras, Kauline and Giltine), Elliot Thomas and Justine Divangelo. Development Origins as Kurayami The April 2006 issue of Edge detailed the first incarnation of Shadows of the DAMNED. The project, proposed under the name Kurayami, was reported to involve exploring "a castle and a village filled with strange inhabitants." The protagonist would wander this village wielding a torch, and would solve puzzles, among other things, to progress through the game.Killer 7 creator does PS3 game. Tom Bramwell. Eurogamer. April 25, 2006. Furthermore, the protagonist would only be safe while occupying well-lit areas, with the torch he carried allowing him to travel through the darkness between these lighted zones."Into the Darkness". Edge. April 2006. p. 53. SUDA51 stated that the dangers to the protagonist would not be limited to the creatures he encountered alone, as interactions with the townsfolk could also become heated."Into the Darkness". Edge. April 2006. p. 54. Kurayami appeared to be planned as a free roam title with heavy focus on action"Into the Darkness". Edge. April 2006. p. 52. and less emphasis on linearity. Speaking to Edge, SUDA51 expressed that "The challenge now is to go beyond simple recognition, and transform our original games into a mainstream success." This interview was conducted within the first year killer7 had been released, and Grasshopper had yet to oversee a relatively mainstream title until No More Heroes was developed the following year. SUDA51 described Kurayami as "inspired by Franz Kafka, a writer I greatly admire. I thought for a long time about how to adapt the environment of his books into a game – to represent the mystery perhaps by applying filters, or dividing them into various missions. When I considered the visuals, I immediately thought of darkness, and I imagined a hero within this night, with a light that would in a way symbolise his life. That became the core concept of Kurayami: literally, 'darkness'." SUDA51 went on to describe the unique approach he had planned for the game's graphics, explaining that "There are lots of toon-shaded titles on the market right now, but when you look how the contrast of light and shadow is central in our mangas, even in comics from abroad, there are few games that use this sense of darkness. So I want to deliver a very specific, totally new pixel shader based on darkness: an artistic texture, mixed with various effects." On the topic of enemies encountered in Kurayami, SUDA51 stated that "It's not about some hideous monsters or evil creatures coming out of the darkness, but playing on our natural fears of the dark, and the uneasiness that comes from the absence of noise and life." This element of the game also inspires the attitude of the townsfolk, with SUDA51 elaborating, "It shows how people change when faced with their fears – in a way, you could see a little bit of what Japan, or the world, is like in this town. But I want it to be a profound message, not one based on what's going on around me at the time development starts, or to voice some utopian idea like world peace." Speaking about the challenge of taking on a more high-end gaming console than the former PlayStation models and Nintendo GameCube, SUDA51 admitted the project would be daunting, but had confidence that "We're capable of taking on technically and financially heavy development – at least, one game at a time. Sony has a vision that as a creator I wanted to respond to, and to deliver this very detailed drawing shader, we need the PS3's power. Our main focus at the moment is to make these illustrations run in realtime." SUDA51's last significant description of the game for three years centered around its content, and potential conflicts with game rating boards. SUDA51 explained, "Kurayami's ideas are not about violence or eroticism, but fundamental problems in the human mind, which may find some conflict with the rating system. But if you consider the moral elements, starting from Space Invaders, videogames are basically about killing beings. I understand why the industry is trying to soften this key idea, change it to 'defeating' adversaries to be more acceptable, but I think its almost criminal to diminish the impact of death, and maybe dangerous to depict it in a cute manner for a young audience. Though I expect the rating level to be quite high for Kurayami, I also expect the PS3 to be mainly purchased and used by an adult audience. I'm making a game for an adult audience, one that shows what life is and what being human is.""Into the Darkness". Edge. April 2006. p. 55. While sources as late as August 2009 continued to report on the game with scarce details and concept art,Suda 51 + Kafka = PS3 Exclusive Craziness: Kurayami. GayGamer.net. August 18, 2009. some of which falsely believed Kurayami was a newly announced title in development,Suda 51 Is Working On A Playstation 3 Exclusive, Kurayami. PushSquare.com. August 18, 2009.Suda 51's PS3 exclusive revealed as Kurayami. Destructoid. August 18, 2009. the material they reported on in fact dated back to 2006, when the game was originally proposed to the media.Kurayami se dévoile sur PS3. Gamekyo. April 22, 2006. In actuality, neither SUDA51 nor Grasshopper Manufacture made a public statement on Kurayami after the first quarter of 2006 until Joystiq asked about the game's status in a late September 2009 interview with SUDA51. Here, SUDA51 confirmed that Kurayami had never entered development, citing that "We aren't even really working on it. We've just been talking about it, but there hasn't been time to work on it."TGS 2009: Interview: Suda 51. Joystiq. September 29, 2009. Interviewer JC Fletcher noted the recent resurgence in the game's concept art, which various websites insisted was new, to which SUDA51 clarified, "Actually it was really just for Edge. The artwork was just something we submitted them. We're not working on this project yet. They had some special coverage about Grasshopper and we talked a little bit about Kurayami, and so we gave them some artwork." While Kurayami was ultimately never developed, Mikami confirmed its ideas provided the foundation for Shadows of the DAMNED.GDC 11: Shinji Mikami Interview. GameTrailers.com. March 10, 2011. Some of these ideas would be filtered into other works in the future. The director of Black Knight Sword was offered a script from the transition from Kurayami to Shadows of the DAMNED to use as inspiration, and much later in 2015, SUDA51's manga Kurayami Dance also based some ideas off of the original plans for Kurayami. Resurgence under Electronic Arts Shadows of the DAMNED in its current form was first announced in 2008. Grasshopper initially intended to premier the title, unnamed at the time, at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009, however this plan fell through.E3 2009: Suda 51 Talks Forthcoming Mikami Collaboration. Matt Casamassina. IGN. June 3, 2009. In an interview with SUDA51 at the convention, the producer expressed hope that more details about the game could be confirmed at Tokyo Game Show 2009, however the game failed to make an appearance at this event as well. The few reporters who managed to evoke a comment from SUDA51 early in the development phase always noted his reluctance to do so. When IGN interviewed the director in June 2009, SUDA51 hesitated to provide genuine details about the game, before saying that "It's a game about light and shadows." IGN pressed him for further information, noting SUDA51 thought long and hard before solely stating, "it's sparkling." In a later interview with IGN in September 2009, SUDA51 was asked about the game, to which it was noted he proceeded to "squirm around in his chair and go back and forth with PR, who obviously don't want him sharing anything."A Sitdown With Suda 51. Mark Bozon. IGN. September 29, 2009. SUDA51 then retorted that because he wanted to share information with IGN, he would say that "It's an action/horror game, and it'll be very scary... And I guess I can also tell you that the main character has a very cool watch ... I better leave it at that." Described as "mad genius in the horror genre," the project was reportedly 50% completed by May 12, 2010.Mikami and Suda51's "Mad Genius Horror" Game 50% Complete. James Newton. Nintendo Life. May 12, 2010. The first trailer for Shadows of the DAMNED premiered at the Tokyo Game Show 2010, showing the first footage of Hotspur, Paula and Reed. It was also revealed at the premier that Akira Yamaoka would be helming sound direction for the game, his second Grasshopper album, after the the soundtrack for No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. Shadows of the DAMNED's second trailer, debuting Johnson and Whatshisfaces, and showing Paula in greater detail, appeared at the Game Developers Conference in 2011.Shadows of the Damned: GDC Trailer. Electronic Arts. March 7, 2011. It was confirmed in March 2011 that the game was powered by Unreal Engine 3,Voice of the Damned: Suda 51 on being an EA Partner and surviving the Japanese market. JC Fletcher. Joystiq. March 8, 2011. and while initially slated to be released for Microsoft Windows, Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it would ultimately only see release on the latter two consoles.Grasshopper working with Unreal Engine 3. Brendan Sinclair. Gamespot. October 7, 2008. SUDA51 commented at the Game Developers Conference in 2011 that Shadows of the DAMNED was designed as a shooting game at the request of Electronic Arts. A month after the release of Shadows of the DAMNED, director Massimo Guarini departed Grasshopper Manufacture to form his own studio, Ovosonico Productions.Shadows of the Damned director leaves Grasshopper. Brendan Sinclair. Gamespot. July 19, 2011. In August 2011, to commemorate the game's recent release and the success of their Facebook page, Grasshopper released three Shadows of the DAMNED posters signed by SUDA51 and Yamaoka.To 6000, and Beyond - Signed Shadows of the Damned Posters!. Grasshopper Manufacture. August 23, 2011. Reception Reviewing a Shadows of the DAMNED demo in March 2011, IGN's Arthur Gies commented that "If it seems like I'm focusing on Shadows of the Damned's style over its play, it's because it's hard to get a solid feel for the kind of game that Shadows wants to be right now ... There's the busty villainess who's teased for several acts before you'll have a chance to fight her, the giant demon with a weakspot comprised of a jewel that houses human blood, and plenty of third person shooting, but none of it really stands out in comparison to the bold stylings that SUDA51 is known for." In response to the game's poor sales, SUDA51 lamented that "I think it's really difficult to be successful with a new IP. ... Unfortunately we couldn't really do as well as we hoped for," adding that he "had lots of ideas for online," which he would have incorporated if he could develop Shadows of the DAMNED over again.Suda admits Shadows of the Damned regret. Fred Dutton. Eurogamer. October 3, 2011. When pressed on the topic of Electronic Arts' less than generous support of the game, SUDA51 was ejected from the interview by his public relations manager. Designer reflections Shadows of the DAMNED left its key designers divided by the final product. When asked if the game turned out as initially conceived, co-producer Shinji Mikami responded, "No, it became a completely different game. That was a bit disappointing. I think SUDA51 was unable to create the scenario he'd originally had in his head, and he rewrote the scenario several times. I think his heart was broken. He's such a unique creator, so it seems to me that he was not quite comfortable with making this game."Mikami: Shadows Of The Damned Broke Suda51's Heart. Ben Dutka. PSX Extreme. July 17, 2012. In a later interview, Mikami further clarified that, "Suda's vision and direction, and EA's vision and direction, were totally opposite."Shinji Mikami and the fountain of youth. Matt Leone. Polygon. February 20, 2014. In spite of this Mikami saw a silver lining in the experience, as the Grasshopper team walked away from Shadows of the DAMNED with experience using Unreal Engine for the first time. These words were echoed by co-producer SUDA51 himself, who felt, "it's really difficult to be successful with a new IP. You really need an extraordinary amount of support to have a new franchise be successful. Unfortunately we couldn't really do as well as we hoped for."Suda admits Shadows of the Damned regret. Fred Dutton. Eurogamer. October 3, 2011. SUDA51 also admitted to having ideas for online connectivity which went unrealized and that it was Electronic Arts' wish that the game be a shooter, a shift which Mikami also called painful. In spite of this, Mikami felt that Shadows of the DAMNED would have sold less than it ultimately did if Grasshopper and Electronic Arts followed SUDA51's original idea, though he added that the game would have still been unique. Contrasting SUDA51's disappointment and Mikami's indifference to the final product, composer Akira Yamaoka was more positive about the game, admitting, "I'm thinking of a sequel, actually. I can't tell you here, but clearly I'd like to."Grasshopper considering Shadows of the Damned sequel. Martin Robinson. Eurogamer. March 22, 2012. Sequel Nearly one year after the release of Shadows of the DAMNED, composer Akira Yamaoka admitted in March 2012 that he was considering a sequel, feeling relatively certain that Grasshopper would have Electronic Arts' support. The prospect remains to be elaborated on, given SUDA51's own opinion that Electronic Arts was not tolerant enough of Shadows of the DAMNED in the first place. Cover art Image:ShadowsOfTheDamnedBoxart.jpg| North American PlayStation 3 front Image:SOTD-NA-X-Front.jpg| North American Xbox 360 front Image:SOTD-JP-PS-Front.jpg| Japanese PlayStation 3 front North American PlayStation 3 scans Image:SOTD-NA-SCAN01.png|Front, back and spine Image:SOTD-NA-SCAN02.png|Disc Image:SOTD-NA-SCAN03.png|Instruction booklet Image:SOTD-NA-SCAN04.png|Instruction booklet Image:SOTD-NA-SCAN05.png|Instruction booklet Image:SOTD-NA-SCAN06.png|Instruction booklet Image:SOTD-NA-SCAN07.png|Instruction booklet Image:SOTD-NA-SCAN08.png|Instruction booklet References External links * Official website * [http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/untitledgrasshopperproject/index.html Shadows of the DAMNED at Gamespot] * [http://ps3.ign.com/objects/142/14274035.html Shadows of the DAMNED at IGN] * Official Chrome theme Category:Shadows of the DAMNED Category:Video games Category:Xbox 360 games compatible with Xbox One